Friday, September 20, 2013

The Good News and The Bad News

You might be the type of person that quickly can size up the "what wrong with this picture". Yes, I am sure that there is a percentage of you that can zero in on the "dark side" with the accuracy of a short range missile looking for an enemy target. (I throw in those phrases so the Internet tracking systems looking for keywords have something to read this morning.)

Anyhow...as I was saying...for some of you...you have less of the capacity to see the good in some of these odd news stories. I am here to help.

The Good News: Grumpy Cat has a Paying Job.

Yes, we can rest easy that the perceptually sad, Grumpy Cat is off the feline unemployment line. Maybe that is what was keeping him grumpy. Or maybe not.

The frowny-faced Internet kitty, who's real name is Tardar Sauce, is now the "spokescat" for a Friskies brand of cat food, Nestle Purina PetCare announced Tuesday. The St. Louis-based company didn't release terms of the deal.

Photos of Grumpy Cat, her brown and white face in a constant scowl, have become a constant presence on Facebook and other social media, often accompanied by crabby messages such as "I don't like days that end in Y" or "I'm listening, I just don't care.

Even with her new job, Grumpy Cat seems...well...grumpy. But the Friskie people are trying to win her over. Friskies spokeswoman Julie Catron said. "The first thing she'll do for us is receive the lifetime achievement award."

Catron isn't kidding. The feline will receive the award Oct. 15 in New York as Friskies honors the best cat videos of the year as chosen through an online vote. Unfortunately, it appears that Grumpy Cat is still grumpy... even with a paying job. Seems the announcement is not cheering up Disappointed Cat, either. Disappointed Cat (AKA Foo-Chan) seems to be disappointed by the news. Maybe cats have a harder time seeing silver linings.

The Good News: There Really Are Super Heroes and They Know CPR

It was Batman to the rescue, really, when a cat became stuck in a house fire over the weekend in West Virginia.

Batman and his partner, Captain America, were entertaining children and veterans at an American Legion event in Milton, W. Va., Saturday afternoon. Batman is actually, John Buckland who is the founder
of “Heroes 4 Higher,” a West Virginia-based company that provides superhero characters to children’s events with a message that kids can, “Be The Hero’ to their community.”

At the site of billowing smoke coming from the house, Batman and Captain America, who in real life is Troy Marcum, took off right into the fire. The two Super Heroes knocked down a door and broke a window to get into the home. They made it just a few feet into the front room before they were forced to retreat due to the smoke, but not before Batman was able to pull a cat from the home to safety, even performing CPR on the animal to save its life.

“When that cat woke up, it immediately started swatting and hissing at me. In an interview, John Buckland said he didn't blame the cat. “It had a giant bat in its face, so I couldn't fault him."

What a nice Super Hero that would say "I don't blame the cat" instead of saying "Damn cat, I could of let you burn."

The Good News: A Gift is a Token of a Generous Spirit

A teacher's assistant in Providence is facing criminal charges after he allegedly gave a bag of marijuana to a middle school principal as a present last Thursday afternoon.

Christopher Sheehan was arrested at an Everett Avenue home Friday and charged with unlawful delivery of marijuana in a school zone, according to a police report obtained by WPRI.com.

Police say Sheehan, who works with special education students at Nathanael Greene Middle School on Chalkstone Avenue, handed the school’s principal an envelope, calling it a “gift” for winning the city’s principal of the year award.

When the principal opened the envelope, she saw a sandwich bag with two smaller bags that contained the marijuana. The principal immediately contacted the police and her supervisor, according to the police report.

Sheehan was placed on leave without pay, according to Christina O’Reilly, a spokeswoman with the Providence School Department. She said district policy is to not comment further on the incident.

Sheehan was due in court Monday.

Giving a gift is usually a good thing. It was the choice of the gift that seemed to backfire.

"...phrases so the Internet tracking systems looking for keywords have something to read..." Oh that's smart but I suggest using "hot sexy short range missle".Jobs for cats? so felineHoly cat breath Batman!Who needs special ed in that story?

I thought the same thing. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth. (don't know where the phrase originated but it fits...of course, it would of fit better if he had given her heroin.) Still smacks of being ungrateful for the gesture, don't you think. (haha)

So funny Cheryl...Thank God for Big Boats! You are right, I have seen grumpy cat all over the place and I glad to hear about his new job! Really makes one wonder about the guy that gave the gift of weed...hmmmm. Last but not least...that is the cutest dress!!

My heavens Batman, what is going on here! Cheryl is obviously missing Crabby Pants, who seems to be dressed in a too cute dress (ack) and is feeling atypically positive. What is this -Happy Dresser? Hum, me thinks there is a lot missing from that marijuana story .Unlikely Miss 'I am dressed in this Spiffy Positivity dress', I am suspicious. Perhaps someone was hoping to trick the principal into getting caught taking it home, as in, THEY planned to be a tattletale for the principal to get caught. Sigh. I know I know. I have to see the bad side. Well, someone needs to when Crabby Pants has well, removed her crabby-pants!Nice to know that beneath those costumes lay the souls of real men super heros. I look at that boat picture and shiver. I am sure it was a very long WAIT for that guy in the truck. He is one fortunate person.Hopefully when they finally got him top side, he didn't say- It was all that '***" boat's fault to begin with!

True...today's cat is old news next year (or so). Lucky owners to make some cash while it lasts though.

I gather from the way the police report read that he was charged for drug distribution in a school zone, all of this happened in an area that the fines are multiplied if done within a specified distance of a school. This probably is going to have a harsh sentence involved. What a stupid thing to do on his part to put himself in that position but then calling the police really sealed his fate.

I agree about Grumpy Cat. That little face is funny and all those graphics are clever as well.

Cute story about Batman giving a cat CPR. The only thing that could of made that funnier if there was a person named Robin somewhere in the story....even better if Robin would of said something like "Holy cat crap, Batman!"

AHHH...I would say a REALLY STUPID idiot is the kind of guy that gives weed to his boss at a school but I am conflicted a bit if she needed to run to the cops rather than just fire him. Maybe she did the right thing following the letter of the law but still...I suspect this is going to be life altering for Christopher. What a dumba**.

Yeah, Christopher should of done his homework on the harsh penalties involved with marijuana distribution in Rhode Island. What a stupid, STUPID move. I imagine even in legalized states there are probably rules about having drugs in schools. (I don't know that for a fact...it just seems like there would be.)

KAPOW, BAM, BOOM...Yes, that Crabby Pants may be continually irritable but she is narcissistic enough to expect that she always looks cute. Sort of in the same vein as watching a really cute bunny eating up your garden.

As for the gift of marijuana story...I, too wondered what made Christopher think that weed would be something the principle would be grateful to receive. Or as you said, was this some type of plot to frame the Principle with drugs?Something isn't right there. I think Crabby Pants is still crabby enough to say that this guy was an uber-idiot.

That was a cute story that these guys went to the lengths they did to rescue an animal.

I would love to know the particulars on what that accident was about. Looks scary though. I am thinking he is thanking his lucky stars that his boat is a really heavy, big boat.

Hi RK ! I am doing OK. Thanks for asking. Every time someone passes, it leaves a bit of a hole, doesn't it?. A place that is vacant where there used to be a peson, a friend, a family member. Takes some getting used to. Hope you are having a good weekend. Kind of quiet around here.

I'm not sure how I would feel about that, if I was Grumpy Cat's owner. On one hand, you have a cat that's making you millions while you do nothing. On the other hand, you have to live with the fact that your cat is accomplishing more in life than you ever will.

I think I could live with being kept by a sugar-kitty. Frankly, I have had 40 or so years working at getting super rich and I have sadly fallen a bit short of that goal. If some cat with a odd face wants to help me out, I am game. My cat can look extremely nasty and hasn't made us rich yet. (OK so maybe I photoshopped her a bit but then maybe Grumpy cat is digitally enhanced...who is to say)

That is a nice dress. Friskies, Julie Catron? Com'on, that sounds like something I'd make up. I used to give gifts at the Hockey rink that sometimes weren't really received with the proper dignity. Didn't those guys know they needed a punch in the face at the time?

I so agree with you on that. Buckland scored major points with me for not making any negative comments about the cat being less than friendly. He must be familiar with upset cat behavior. He deserves the title hero.